FR2479785A1 - MULTIPURPOSE BALANCE FOR ASSEMBLY CHAINS OF MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS, IN PARTICULAR MOTOR VEHICLES - Google Patents

Abstract

A polyvalent suspension balance for the assembly lines of manufactured goods, especially motor vehicles, involving at least one overhead device for coupling to an aerial conveyer drive is disclosed. The suspension balance consists of two vertical curved arms, shaped roughly like a wide-open C, each of which separately connects an overhead coupling piece to at least one lower and separate anchoring member for the substructure of the product to be assembled. The said curved arms are articulated about a more or less vertical axis which has great freedom of movement, thereby making it possible to gain easy access to all of the products during all stages of their assembly. Application is to assembly lines for relatively bulky and complex manufactured goods, especially to the production lines of motor vehicles.

Description

Versatile swing for assembly lines of manufac-

  including motor vehicles.

  The present invention relates to a versatile swing for assembly lines of manufactured products, and especially for heating

  production of motor vehicles.

  Experience shows that a great diversity of systems and means of translation are used during the development of some relatively large and complex manufactured products, and in particular motor vehicles since the beginning of assembling the crates.

  white until the end of the vehicles at the end of the finishing line.

  Thus are successively and / or alternatively used air conveyors and monorail circuits with hoists, swings and lifters, and chains on the ground, with aprons, with rollers and guideway, with controlled or free rollers, making indifferently intervene sleds, sledges, towed or pushed carriages,

  etc. This results in the implementation of an important variety of

  which it is often necessary to recycle empty elements

  mobile devices at the end of each installation section, a genera-

  many mechanized or manual manipulations and handlings between these different sections, and burdening the costs of study, production,

  operation and maintenance of such production lines.

  The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks by using the entire assembly line with a single standard translation means, able to provide, however, optimum freedom of access to the entire product. throughout its different phases of assembly, and this as well for the

  personnel only for the supply of spare parts

and tools.

  The overhead conveyor is apparently the most appropriate translation system to meet these criteria, because it offers a very great flexibility of positioning in space, as necessary, products to be assembled, thus making ergonomically reliable, at height normal human operation, all manual operations to be carried out on these products, without recourse to

  civil works for the implementation of the production line.

  In addition, such an installation, by means of more

  the technical skills it implies, is particularly appropriate for the realization of assembly plants in

developing countries.

  The versatile swing for assembly lines of manu-

  Gactured, especially motor vehicles, comprising at least one upper attachment element to an air conveyor drive device, according to the object of the present invention, consists of - two vertical arches, substantially C-shaped wide open , each separately connecting the upper fastening element to at least one lower anchor pad for the substructure structure of the products to be assembled, said arches being independently articulated

  around a substantially vertical axis with a large deflection

  allowing easy access to all of these products during the whole

of their assembly.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the arches,

  respectively located in front and. at the back of the swing is di-

  mounted pivotally on the upper fastening element, and

  abutted at its lower end in the center of a separate pair of studs

  anchoring element, the connecting element between said pairs of anchoring studs.

  ge being solely constituted, in period of use, by the structure

  underpinning products to assemble, thus ensuring wide access

  to the lower parts of this structure.

  As a safety measure, each anchor pad is provided with means for locking the substructure structure of the products to be assembled.

on said swing.

  Preferably, each locking means is constituted by a rotary latch whose rotation of the head, of known form in itself

  substantially parallelepipedic in order to come and engage in

  appropriate structures of the base structure of the products to be

  This is ensured by the cooperation of an uninterrupted series of -3 four substantially wolf-shaped control ramps.

  on the lateral surface of the cylindrical spigot bearing

  the lock with at least one radial lug integral with a ring mounted vertically sliding around the lock body, so that each raising caused by this sliding ring generates

  a quarter-turn rotation of the lock head.

  Therefore, the lifting of the sliding ring generating rotation of the lock head can be automatically ensured by the presence of ramps or stops judiciously arranged at the appropriate positions on the course of the assembly line, to proceed

  locking and unlocking the products to be assembled.

  When the products to be assembled are motor vehicles, the housing of their base structure for the anchoring and locking studs may very advantageously be constituted by the housing receiving and positioning head jack

  lift under their chassis frame.

  Finally, according to a preferred embodiment variant, the upper element

  Hanging mirror has a horizontal crossbar provided with

  of free rollers in rotation at each of its ends, forming

  horizontal biliser by cooperation in a manner known per se of said rollers with lateral guide rails integral with the support structure of the overhead conveyor to prevent any swinging of

  during the interventions on the products being assembled.

wiring.

  The understanding of the present invention will be facilitated by the

  following description of a non-limiting example of embodiment of such a versatile swing for assembly lines of manufactured products, including motor vehicles, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cavalier multi-purpose swing chair according to the invention;

  FIGS. 2a to 2f are diagrammatic elevational views illus-

-4 -

  different stages of assembly of a motor vehicle.

  bile using a versatile swing seat according to the invention; - Figures 3 and 4 are respectively views in elevation and in plan of a first locking means of the products to be assembled on the versatile swing according to the invention; - Figures 5 and 6 are respectively elevational and plan views of a second locking means of the products to be assembled on

  the versatile swing seat according to the invention.

  As appears more particularly in FIG.

  that comprising an upper attachment element 1 with tabs 2 suitable for any conveyor drive device

  aerial compose in accordance with the object of the invention, two ar-

  vertical shafts 3, substantially C-shaped wide open, respec-

  located at the front and rear of the swing, and

  binders each separately the upper element 1 for attachment to a separate pair of anchoring pads 4 for the substructure structure of the products to be assembled, constituted in the case of Figures 2a to 2f by the chassis frame 5 of motor vehicles. Each of the two hoops 3 is respectively pivotally mounted, by means of a first yoke 6, on the upper fastening element 1, and at its lower end, on a second yoke 7 secured to the center of a tube of link 8 raised at its ends to define each distinct pair of pads

anchor 4.

  The arches 3 are therefore independently articulated around a sensing axis.

  vertical direction with a large angular deflection, of the order of 180 degrees, thus allowing it to be clearly shown in FIGS. 2a to 2f easy access to all the products, in this case motor vehicles, during the whole of their assembly. In addition,

  the only connecting and stiffening element between couples

  tincts of anchoring studs 4 is only constituted during periods of

  use, by the substructure structure 5 of the products to be assembled, also ensuring great accessibility to the lower parts of this structure, while lightening the swings during their circuit 5-

back to empty.

  As a rule, in the normal position of the hoops 3 in the plane of symmetry of the swing, interventions can be made without any hindrance on about 95% of the total surface of the products to be assembled, and it is sufficient to a small displacement of said hoops 3,

  printed manually by an operator or by an appropriate device

  prayed implanted at the delirious place on the assembly line to de-

  the remaining 5%. Nevertheless, the large deflection of the hoops 3 is very useful to clear the entire front or rear part

  products to be assembled, particularly when supplying

  large dimensions or to facilitate evacuation at the end of

chain of finished products.

  As a safety measure each anchor pad -4 is provided with a means of

  locking 9 of the underbody structure 5 of the products to be assembled.

  bloom on the swing. Similarly, the upper fastening element 1 comprises a horizontal transverse bar 10 provided with free-rotating gallstones 11 at each of its ends, forming a horizontal stabilizer by cooperation in a manner known per se of said rollers 11 with lateral guide rails, no shown in the accompanying figures, integral with the support structure of the overhead conveyor

  to prevent any swing of the whole during the interven-

  Manual or automated operations on products being assembled.

  For small installations the locking means 9 may be constituted by a manually operated rotary latch, of the type represented by FIGS. 3 and 4, and comprising a head 12, of

  form known in itself substantially parallelepipedic in order to come

  in an appropriate housing of the base structure 5 of the

  products to be assembled, provided with a knurled bottom flange

  to print a reciprocating 90 degree rotation movement, and extended by a cylindrical bearing surface 14, journalled in each upper end of the connecting tubes 8 forming the pairs of anchoring studs 4, and limited in translation and rotation by the cooperation of abutments 15 screwed radially into said cylindrical seat 14 and

  corresponding horizontal lights 16 each

_6

  over a quarter of the section of said tubes 8 near the ex-

  tremities of these, to allow only one-quarter rotation

  turn of said locking heads 12.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the locking means 9, shown in Figures 5 and 6, it is also constituted by a rotary latch comprising a head 17 of similar shape to the head of the previous lock, extended by a cylindrical seat 18, rotatably mounted in a tubular body 19 screwed bolt

  at the end of the tubes 8 of anchoring studs 4, and immobilized in trans-

  lation in said lock body 19 by the simultaneous action of a collar

  upper support ler2O and a lower abutment washer 21 secured by axial screw, 22 to said cylindrical seat 18. The rotation of the locking head 17 is then provided by the cooperation of an uninterrupted sequence of four ramps 23 of order

  substantially shaped wolf teeth on the surface

  of the span 18 with two diametrically opposite pins 24,

  smoothing in 25-corresponding vertical slots formed in the lock body 19, and radially integral with a ring 26 mounted vertically sliding around said lock body 19, so that each raising caused by this ring 26 causes a rotation

  a quarter turn of the latch head 17.

  Each lug 24 also has an extension 27 extending ex-

  later to the sliding ring 26, and forming an operating member of said locking means. The lifting of the sliding ring 26 causing the rotation of the lock head 17 can thus

  indifferently, thanks to this organ of maneuver, to be ensured either

  naked, or automatically by cooperation of said extensions 27 with ramps or retractable stops judiciously disposed to

  appropriate positions on the course of the assembly line.

  When the products to be assembled are, as represented in FIGS. 2a and 2f, motor vehicles, the housings of their underbody structure 5 for the anchoring pads 4 and for locking 9 may very advantageously be constituted by the receiving receptacles. and elevating jack head positioning under their chassis frame. The versatile swing, object of the present invention, thus provides by simple means so reliable and inexpensive, optimum accessibility to all elements of the products to be assembled, throughout the various phases of their development, whether for operators or for the means of supplying spare parts and tools. It is thus suitable for use on relatively rudimentary chains with a majority of manual operations, as well as on highly automated chains requiring, for example, great freedom of access and of movement for the programmable automaton working arms. each swing can very well be effectively immobilized and stabilized by appropriate means, associated inter alia horizontal stabilizer previously described,

  during the operating times of said controllers.

  Its scope is not limited to motor vehicle assembly lines, but may extend, as already mentioned above, to all production lines of manufactured goods

  especially relatively bulky and complex. Likewise, various

  Definitions may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the scope of the invention. For example,

  that the locking means 9 may be provided with sleeves

  sealing ensuring their protection during the passage of the swing

  in surface treatment facilities of the products to be assembled.

- 8 -

Claims (7)

  1. Versatile swing for chains of assembly of ma-   Manufactured, in particular motor vehicles, comprising at least one upper fastening element to an air conveyor drive device, characterized in that it consists of two vertical arches (3), substantially in form of C widely open, each separately connecting the upper fastening element (1) to at least one lower anchor (4) separately for the substructure structure (5) of the products to be assembled, said arches (3) being independently articulated around a substantially vertical axis with a large deflection allowing easy access to all   said products during their entire assembly.   2. Versatile swing, according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the arches (3), respectively located at   front and back of the swing, is directly mounted pi-   voting on the upper fastening element (1), and articulated at its lower end to the center of a pair (8) distinct from anchoring studs (4), the connecting element between said pairs (8) of   anchoring studs (4) being solely constituted, during periods of use   the base structure (5) of the products to be assem-   to ensure a high accessibility to the lower parts of this structure.   3. Versatile swing, according to any one of the claims   1 and 2, characterized in that each anchor pad (4) is provided with a locking means (9) of the underbody structure (5)   products to be assembled on said swing.   4. Versatile swing, according to claim 3, characterized in that each locking means (9) is constituted by a rotary latch whose rotation of the head (17) of known shape substantially parallelepipedal in order to come engaging in appropriate housings of the substructure (5) of the products to be assembled, is provided by the cooperation of an uninterrupted sequence of four control ramps (23) substantially shaped -9- wolf teeth made on the lateral surface of the cylindrical bearing surface (18) for pivoting the latch with at least one lug   (24) integral with a vertically mounted ring (26)   around the latch body (19), so that each lifting caused by this sliding ring (26) causes a rotation of a   quarter turn of the latch head (17).   5. Versatile swing, according to claim 4, characterized   in that the lifting of the sliding ring (26) generates   the rotation of the bolt head (17) is automatically   provided by the presence of ramps or stops   at appropriate stations on the assembly line route.   6. Versatile swing, according to any one of the claims   1 to 4, characterized in that the products to be assembled are   motor vehicles and the dwellings of their soubasse-   (5) for the anchoring studs (4) and locking bolts (9) are con-   staged by the reception and head positioning housings of   lift jack under their chassis frame.   7. Versatile swing, according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper fastening element (1) comprises a horizontal transverse bar (10) provided with rollers (11) free to rotate at each of its ends, forming a stabilizer horizontally by cooperation in a manner known per se of said rollers (11) with lateral guide rails integral with the support structure of the conveyor   in order to prevent any sway of the whole during the inter-   on the products being assembled.